Pastors Have a Special Role at Urbana

News Release
For Immediate Release

(MADISON, WI)—InterVarsity is inviting pastors and church leaders to come to Urbana 06. InterVarsity’s 21st Urbana Student Missions Convention will be held December 27-31, 2006, at the America’s Center and the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Pastors and church leaders are invited to join over 25,000 students, young adults, high school seniors, and missionaries to worship God and hear how he is using his church to accomplish his purposes throughout the world.

Urbana 06 includes a special program designed for current pastors and church leaders. Seminars topics will include how to effectively build a missional church that functions with purpose and commitment in a global society, and how to disciple and mobilize congregations toward missions. This is both a residential and non-residential track. Participants who choose the residential option will attend a special morning Bible study/exposition and some optional evening events. Participants who choose housing with students from their congregation, will be invited to attend the afternoon seminars. The track will be hosted by Dr. Steve Hayner, Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary and Sharol Hayner, Pastoral Staff, Peachtree Presbyterian Church. For more information about this program, visit www.urbana.org/u2006.tracks.cfm.

Urbana 06 will feature several focused programs including: Mission Through the Lens of AIDS, Open for Business, Slum Communities of the Developing World, and the International Students Track. World renowned speakers who will be at Urbana include: Ajith Fernando, Ray Bakke, Brenda Salter McNeil and Rick Warren.

Pastors are also invited to encourage the high school seniors and college students in their congregations to attend Urbana 06 to learn more about what God is doing in the world, and to seek what it is he is calling them to do. Since 1946 InterVarsity’s Urbana conventions have challenged more than 220,000 people to participate in God’s mission.

Urbana 06 is offering churches and other organizations the opportunity to register as groups. Groups can be registered without knowing the names of each participant when the group is established. This allows groups to lock in the fee for everyone in the group, even if they sign-up after the fee increase. Groups are required to contain five (5) or more people. To register and obtain more information, visit www.urbana.org.

Don’t miss this chance to be a part of the refreshing worship, Bible exposition of the book of Ephesians and eye-opening testimony at Urbana 06. For more information about Urbana 06, visit www.urbana.org. Pastors may also order additional promotional material free of charge through the InterVarsity store at www.intervarsity.org.